article

Zande border raids

Africa • 27 • Published In 1957 • Pages: 217-230

By: Evans-Pritchard, E. E. (Edward Evan).

Abstract

This brief article concerns the nature of border raids in four of the frontier provinces of the Gbudwe kingdom of Azande. Herein is found a valuable discussion of the following: motivations behind raids, combat preparations, aftermath of combat, raiding strategy and tactics, and other characteristics of military operations. While the article stresses more a description of actual battles and military episodes rather than an analysis of cultural-historical forces determining Azande warfare and raiding, the author does not draw the significant distinction between raids (affrays) and war campaigns: wars mobilize all or most of the territorial and social divisions of an Azande kingdom, while raids are military engagements between specific Azande or non-Azande provinces. Although not necessarily differing in objectives or operations, raids are much smaller in scale and scope than are wars. This article, however, relates neither raids nor wars to other Azande institutions.

HRAF PubDate

1999

Region

Africa

Sub Region

Central Africa

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Social Anthropologist

Analyst

Gilbert Winer ; 1968-1969

Field Date

1927-1930

Coverage Date

ca. 1865 - ca. 1905

Coverage Place

Gbudwe Kingdom, Sudan

Notes

E. E. Evans-Pritchard

LCCN

29010790

LCSH

Zande (African people)